The Witch's Tale

Wrapping Up ... Kris Finally Gets a DROS (Date of Return Overseas)

Kris Hammond was an operator for sure ... Deep cover in Al Simhara. He and Rebecca had spent their time together in Cairo when he was headed back in and she was headed back out of country. It might have had something to do with the encounter because he had been under a long time and almost didn't remember who had been before. His time with Rebecca in Cairo, the birth of Hanna, and the contact he had with them, although somewhat restricted, had put him back in touch with the Real World as they tended to call it in the Service. He was thinking about a home ... Something he hadn't known in a while.

He had to look different, act different and spend endless hours around the market ... Constantly with an ear to the ground and an eye on the crowd. He had to become a fixture, someone people recognized, but as the part he was playing and never as Kris Hammond. It was a risky endeavor, but Kris was good at it ... This wasn't his first rodeo,

There were late night contacts and drops in the middle of nowhere and the wee hours of the morning ... And Kris was constantly looking over his shoulder. The intel was sketchy at best, and his job was to help sort out what was actionable and what wasn't. There was a time when he had loved the desert, but now it left him exposed and as an outsider. He wasn't enjoying anything about the work anymore, and he was doing it now just because someone had to, and he could.

At that point prior to the operation, it had been a while since he had last spoken with Rebecca, but he thought about her and Hanna all the time. They were somewhere safe and having fun ... Hanna was growing and Kris was missing it. In the long hours waiting for the next move, he thought about them. Kris would try and imagine what he was going to say or do when he got a chance to see Rebecca again, and Hanna for the first time ... When he would get to meet his little girl.

To Kris it seemed like it would never end ... The days just dragged by. He would get the call to ready the mission objective, then it would get called off at the last moment. By the time the actual operation came to pass, Kris was so weary of it getting called off, he almost jumped for joy in the street when the 'go' was given.

The Resistance had a big operation in Al Simhara and gaining access to their headquarters was no easy task. Worse, it was a black bag operation, and he would have to get in, take care of business, and get out without anyone suspecting anything had happened. The operation went smoothly, and Kris was closer to shutting the door on that part of his life.

Once the mission and the briefings were completed and it was time for Kris to make the transition, he made a point to stop by Rebecca's place in Al Simhara. He just checked on things and briefly touched base with her ... Letting her know that he would be making plans to return to the States as soon as all the exit work was done. He told her it may be a while, but he hoped to make it to Hidden Springs by Spring. Once he was able to ditch his cover, he just stayed at Rebecca's camp.

A few weeks passed, and it took that long to get the sand out of his drawers. Staying at Rebecca's camp, while showering at the Base Camp was a step up from where he been staying. Finally, his DROS and Exit Service paperwork was finalized, and for the first time in years he was really a free man. Rebecca had told him to let her know when he was coming to Hidden Spring and that she would let it be a surprise for Hanna. Kris had spoken to her two days prior and knew they were not planning on going anywhere on a trip ... He just figured he would surprise them both.

Bags packed, a fresh cut, and back in his own clothes ... Kris is about to beat a hot trail to Hidden Springs ... I kind of wonder if Rebecca will recognize him all cleaned up, and back to being himself ... 🤣😂

Happy Simming ...  💖